jazzyken
02-15-2005, 09:52 PM
Montclair council proposes 40% pay hike for members
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
BY PHILIP READ
Star-Ledger Staff
Ed Remsen was tallying the price tag of being mayor of Montclair.
Membership dues. The dedicated phone line so constituents can ring him anytime. Retirement dinners. "That's an $85 check," he said of the dinner for the departing fire chief. "As mayor, I'm on everybody's list."
He has a good idea of the tab. "If I added it all up, it's probably costing me $20,000 a year; $15,000 to $20,000 for sure," Remsen said.
To help offset those extra costs of public office, Montclair's council -- with Remsen's backing -- last week introduced an ordinance to push council members' salaries up $2,000 a year, to $7,000. That would mark the first raise in more than a decade and push the council members' pay to the higher end for elected officials in suburban Essex County.
Ted Mattox, an at-large councilman, and Sandra Lang, the 4th Ward councilwoman, voted against the ordinance.
Mattox said he believes the proposed ordinance doesn't go far enough and council members should receive even more money.
"I think to do the job right in Montclair that it's definitely 25 hours a week, at minimum, and I think that $7,000 is probably undercompensating the position," Mattox said.
What's more, he said, the lack of compensation excludes people with limited means from serving -- and those are the people who can often clearly identify some of the town's particular needs, he said.
Mattox branded the salary ordinance a "piecemeal" approach instead of a comprehensive solution, one that he said wouldn't have to take effect until the next council is seated more than three years from now.
"For a town that prides itself on diversity, it has failed to provide a mechanism so that any person in town -- regardless of financial status or personal situation -- would have the ability to run for public office and be compensated fairly," Mattox said.
Remsen said he disagreed with Mattox.
"Most of us, except for a couple of people, consider our time spent being on the council is volunteer work," said Remsen, noting that council members do have the option, or perk, of tapping into the town's health benefit package.
"One member of the council has suggested salaries upward of $20,000 as appropriate," Remsen said of Mattox, "and I thought that was absolutely inappropriate."
Joyce Michaelson, the deputy mayor, was like-minded. "This is not a full-time job. We are expected to have jobs and families and lives, and the salary reflects that."
She said a "balanced ticket" of councilors could cover for each other when personal demands kick in. "I was president of the board of education with a full-time job, with two teenage daughters, and I was a single mother," said Michaelson, a widow.
Mike Cerra of the New Jersey League of Municipalities said there's no statutory definition of full time.
"The individual is full time if he or she decides to work at it full time, regardless of salary," he said.
Outside the larger Essex cities, where pay can reach well into the five figures, the range for council members runs from $200 in Cedar Grove to $8,120 in Fairfield, according to the New Jersey League of Municipalities.
Only in West Orange does the compensation break out of the pack. There, council members make $13,874 a year, the mayor -- who is also a state assemblyman -- makes $27,746.
"With the amount of time and effort they put into the job here, the compensation is warranted," said Amy Simon, public information officer of the 12.1-square-mile town. "It's not a small town with small issues. It's a big town with big issues."
Lang, who also voted against the ordinance, said "There's too much ado about $2,000." Still, she said, she thinks there should be some regular adjustments pegged to inflation. "Whatever stipend or pay we get goes quickly when you attend all the events in town."
The ordinance is likely to be the subject of a public hearing sometime in March
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
BY PHILIP READ
Star-Ledger Staff
Ed Remsen was tallying the price tag of being mayor of Montclair.
Membership dues. The dedicated phone line so constituents can ring him anytime. Retirement dinners. "That's an $85 check," he said of the dinner for the departing fire chief. "As mayor, I'm on everybody's list."
He has a good idea of the tab. "If I added it all up, it's probably costing me $20,000 a year; $15,000 to $20,000 for sure," Remsen said.
To help offset those extra costs of public office, Montclair's council -- with Remsen's backing -- last week introduced an ordinance to push council members' salaries up $2,000 a year, to $7,000. That would mark the first raise in more than a decade and push the council members' pay to the higher end for elected officials in suburban Essex County.
Ted Mattox, an at-large councilman, and Sandra Lang, the 4th Ward councilwoman, voted against the ordinance.
Mattox said he believes the proposed ordinance doesn't go far enough and council members should receive even more money.
"I think to do the job right in Montclair that it's definitely 25 hours a week, at minimum, and I think that $7,000 is probably undercompensating the position," Mattox said.
What's more, he said, the lack of compensation excludes people with limited means from serving -- and those are the people who can often clearly identify some of the town's particular needs, he said.
Mattox branded the salary ordinance a "piecemeal" approach instead of a comprehensive solution, one that he said wouldn't have to take effect until the next council is seated more than three years from now.
"For a town that prides itself on diversity, it has failed to provide a mechanism so that any person in town -- regardless of financial status or personal situation -- would have the ability to run for public office and be compensated fairly," Mattox said.
Remsen said he disagreed with Mattox.
"Most of us, except for a couple of people, consider our time spent being on the council is volunteer work," said Remsen, noting that council members do have the option, or perk, of tapping into the town's health benefit package.
"One member of the council has suggested salaries upward of $20,000 as appropriate," Remsen said of Mattox, "and I thought that was absolutely inappropriate."
Joyce Michaelson, the deputy mayor, was like-minded. "This is not a full-time job. We are expected to have jobs and families and lives, and the salary reflects that."
She said a "balanced ticket" of councilors could cover for each other when personal demands kick in. "I was president of the board of education with a full-time job, with two teenage daughters, and I was a single mother," said Michaelson, a widow.
Mike Cerra of the New Jersey League of Municipalities said there's no statutory definition of full time.
"The individual is full time if he or she decides to work at it full time, regardless of salary," he said.
Outside the larger Essex cities, where pay can reach well into the five figures, the range for council members runs from $200 in Cedar Grove to $8,120 in Fairfield, according to the New Jersey League of Municipalities.
Only in West Orange does the compensation break out of the pack. There, council members make $13,874 a year, the mayor -- who is also a state assemblyman -- makes $27,746.
"With the amount of time and effort they put into the job here, the compensation is warranted," said Amy Simon, public information officer of the 12.1-square-mile town. "It's not a small town with small issues. It's a big town with big issues."
Lang, who also voted against the ordinance, said "There's too much ado about $2,000." Still, she said, she thinks there should be some regular adjustments pegged to inflation. "Whatever stipend or pay we get goes quickly when you attend all the events in town."
The ordinance is likely to be the subject of a public hearing sometime in March